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“Novak Djokovic” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by y.caradec
Novak Djokovic must have thought it was his year. After claiming his first ever title at Roland Garros, in a competition that has been heavily dominated by Rafael Nadal for the last 10 years, he knew that the time was ripe for a clean sweep. It was not meant to be this year, though, as he was unceremoniously dumped out of Wimbledon by 28th seed Sam Querrey.
Winning all four major Grand Slams in the same year is no easy feat. Only two men have ever managed it, and it has only been done three times. This was by the American, Don Budge, in 1938, and the Australian, Rod Laver, in 1962 and 1969. Roger Federer, generally considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, couldn’t even manage it while he was at his peak. He came close on three occasions, winning everything but the French Open.
The French Open had been the stumbling block for Djokovic for so long as well. In 2011 and 2015, the Serb would have completed the Holy Grail if not for the elusive title at Roland Garros. Nadal, The King of Clay, had dominated for so long, and then last year Stan Wawrinka cropped up and managed a shock victory over Djokovic.
After breezing through the Australian Open and finally winning the French tournament, Djokovic was well favoured by bookies to go all the way in England. The man who is 8/11 in the tennis betting to win the US Open, shocked the world as he didn’t even make the final of Wimbledon.
Going into the match, the 29-year-old was the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to enter a tournament at the All England Club after winning the two Grand Slams preceding it. He had also been unbeaten since his defeat to Wawrinka in the French Open over a year prior. The result has been dubbed one of the most shocking in the history of the sport, but according to reports from Sky Sports News, the World Number One may not have been 100% fit, and was drained both mentally and physically.
Perhaps nowadays, with the extreme levels of intensity in the sport, it is harder than it has ever been for a man to achieve a Grand Slam sweep. Djokovic has reached 18 of the last 23 finals in major tournaments, and the stress and pressure must take its toll on the athlete. The standard of competition is also exceptionally high.
On the other hand, the Serb may just need a rest. He still has a good few tennis years left in him, and may not have even reached his peak yet. The current US, Australian, and French Open champion can take some solace in the knowledge that the last man to win all four competitions was 31 when he made the achievement.
Next on the agenda for Djokovic is the Olympics in Rio, and the defence of his US Open title in August. Then there is next year, where the dominant force in tennis will have another shot at breaking records.
